Governor Jindal Orders June 27th as Statewide Day of Prayer for Perseverance Through Oil Spill Crisis

BATON ROUGE (June 24, 2010) - Today, Governor Bobby Jindal issued a proclamation declaring June 27th as a “Statewide Day of Prayer” for perseverance through the oil spill crises.

Proclamation on Statewide Day of Prayer:

WHEREAS, Louisiana is entering the 66th day of an economic and environmental crisis caused by the BP oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico, which is the largest oil spill in American history; and,

WHEREAS, The Deepwater Horizon oil spill already has a profound effect on Louisiana, its coastline and its people and our entire Louisiana way of life; and,

WHEREAS, The people of coastal Louisiana are being directly impacted by the closure of our waters for fishing and oyster harvesting and many are struggling to make ends meet or provide for their families; and,

WHEREAS, The continuing BP oil spill disaster follows the damage caused by Hurricanes Katrina, Rita, Gustav and Ike, which impacted many of the same communities now being struck by oil; and,

WHEREAS, Louisiana, known around the world as the Sportsman’s Paradise, is blessed with a bounty of natural treasures, including unique wildlife and fisheries and vibrant communities and traditions that are now threatened due to the ongoing catastrophic damage to our wetlands; and,

WHEREAS, The suffering of Louisiana’s state bird, the brown pelican, which was only recently removed from the endangered species list, has become symbolic of the continuing damage caused by the BP oil spill to our fragile coastline and the entire ecosystem it supports; and,

WHEREAS, Louisiana’s people are coming together to help each other now during this time of crisis just as they have persevered through losses before; and Louisiana fishermen, shrimpers and oyster harvesters are now on the frontlines of the oil spill, fighting to protect our coast; and,

WHEREAS, Hundreds of members of the Louisiana National Guard are working tirelessly to shield our fragile marshland from oil that continues to hit our shores – even as many of them just recently returned from fighting for our country overseas; and Louisiana scientists, biologists, veterinarians and wildlife agents battle against the oil every day to rescue and rehabilitate wildlife that survive being impacted by the oil; and,

WHEREAS, Coastal parish leaders from all along the coast have come together to implement their own ideas to protect our waters and our shores, often fighting to convey the sense of urgency and quick action that this crisis demands; and,

WHEREAS, The American people continue to offer their support through prayers and charitable donations, and business owners and scientists share their ideas for stopping the oil; and,

WHEREAS, Louisianians all across the world are united in hope for an end to this catastrophic event and pray for the recovery of our coastline, the rehabilitation of our fish and wildlife and the restoration of our extraordinary coastal areas that are unlike any other place in the world; and,